


Exsanguinate

by LamiaHypnosia



Series: Dies Irae [5]
Category: The Outer Worlds (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Injury, Murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:40:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27793207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LamiaHypnosia/pseuds/LamiaHypnosia
Summary: The traitor comes to collect. Coincidentally Phineas is reunited with his daughter at last. But Kathryn isn't a little girl anymore and after what she has seen is more than willing to take matters into her own hands.
Series: Dies Irae [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2001835





	Exsanguinate

The officer's spine blade hummed in Hawthorne’s hand. “Okay old timer. You get one chance- open the door or we blow it. Akande wants you alive. But she didn’t say intact. Don’t need your arms and legs to tell her the formula to your revival process.” He gestured to all the dead, dying and wounded guards twitching on the floor “For a guy who wants to save the colony you sure kill a bunch of people. These are -were- hard working folks, Doc. It’s over. Just come quietly. The adjutant just wants to know how to revive people, she’ll cut you a deal I’m sure of it. I’ll even vouch for you, what do you say?”

Hawthorne -if he had a truer name he did not use it, or claimed to have amnesia because it seemed cute even though amnesia does not work that way- betrayed him.

Phineas knew Hawthorne was more than capable of handling his mechanicals, he chose him for his skills after all. If it came to it, he could at least be with Kenna again. He said her name to himself under his breath, almost like a prayer. 

“Kenna, that was your wife, right?” Hawthorne asked. His eye -the other was covered by a monolens- twinkled with as much malice as a canid watching its wounded prey try its damndest to escape the inevitable. 

Phineas glared at him and his answer was glacial. "You keep her name out of your mouth or hand to the void…” He could just go into his room and hide, let the UDL take him kicking and screaming to Tartarus. But he wasn’t backing down now. Phineas would face his end with some dignity. On his own terms.  
He still had a gun. Maybe he could get one good hit and end Hawthorne, steal his ship and go...somewhere. No. It was all over. His end had come at last. He shut his eyes.

Hawthorne said “Have it your way.” To his back up he ordered “Light ‘em up.”

The explosion made Phineas' ears ring but he didn’t budge. The sound of the door opening however made him open his eyes, draw his pistol and he took the opportunity to shoot the guard closest to him. The bullet shattered the visor and the wearer tore it off her head with a cry of surprise. 

The other guard shouted “Drop your weapon! Do it now!” 

They wouldn’t take him alive. Phineas pressed the pistol to his own head. 

Someone twisted his arm painfully and the pistol clattered to the floor. “Damn it!” He roared, struggling to free his captured arm. Another hand held him fast, grappled to bring his wrists to handcuff him. “Give an old man peace! You sons of bitches took everything from me! My wife, my daughter, I DON’T GIVE A GOOD GOD DAMN ABOUT YOUR DEAL! THIS COLONY CAN ROT FOR ALL I CARE! VOID TAKE YOU ALL!”

“I didn’t do shit to you,” Hawthorne said so blithely Phineas wanted to tear out the man’s eyes. 

His heart was going like a sprat’s. Pure adrenaline and rage like nothing he’d ever known. He couldn’t even form words but instead imagined all the torments he wished he could put Hawthorne through. Hawthorne. The real Hawthorne might have been a fool but how dare this THING defile his name. If only he hadn’t wasted his formula on this monster. Phineas was not a hateful or violent man by any means so the idea of watching this man experiencing explosive cell death and enjoying watching him suffer and die greatly disturbed him.

“You work for THEM. You’re just like them, you have no regard for human life, only bits. I hope you die on your golden shitter from a disease you get from a one night stand.”

Hawthorne waved him tiredly to silence. “Yeah I get your general idea. “ To his subordinates he said “Alright people let’s move out. Adjutant is waiting for us.” He considered the wounded guard a minute or two. “Move your ass, we can patch it on the ship.”

The wounded guard batted away concern, hands trembling hesitantly at the green glass embedded in her face. “Fuck! That stings! The first time I see you in thirty five years and you fucking shoot me!" 

Phineas blinked as he was pulled to his feet. For a moment he thought he’d seen a ghost. And in a manner, he had. Blond hair. Well sure but lots of people had blonde hair. Her good eye was grey and sure, grey eyes were rare. Law. Merciful law. Could it be? His mouth went dry and hesitating he asked “Kathryn?”

Hawthorne regarded them both. “Oh and I thought today was gonna be boring. Well how about that- two Welles in one trip. Twice the payday.” He eyed Kathryn up and down. “I don’t believe it, you’re meaning not only did the old man get busy, somehow he made you? “ He snapped his fingers at the lingering guard. “What are you standing around for, cuff her too!”

His own wrists cuffed Phineas watched helplessly, biting back protests. He could have kicked himself for exposing her. That, and shooting her. He didn’t kill her, but he might as well have. Hot tears streamed down his face. Why was she here? He’d told those idiots to take her to Gorgon.

Kathryn still had the assault rifle in her hand and shot the other guard dead. Putting herself between Phineas and Hawthorne she said “I’m taking him and you’re not stopping me.”

Laughing, Hawthorne smirked. “And just where are you planning on going, toots? There’s a ship full of my guys that will swarm this place when I give them the go ahead.”

“Doubtful. My friends already took care of them. It’s just you and me, Captain Faker.”

“Kathryn,” Phineas said at last “Get out of here.”

“What? I just came here to-”

“Turn around and leave-”

Hawthorne interrupted “And what makes you think I’ll let her do that?”

Phineas drew himself up. “It’s me you want. I’ll go quietly, I will cooperate, I’ll do whatever you and the adjutant say. Just...let my daughter go.”

“No!” Kat protested. 

“Well let me just think about that a moment.” Hawthorne turned on his heel and paced a few steps. “Ah fuck it.” Turning, he fired his pistol. 

At first neither of them moved. Phineas didn’t realize he was holding his breath and gasped. Patting herself down Kat withdrew a hand slicked with blood and her strength going out of her dropped to her knees. Phineas let out a cry and reached for her even with his cuffed hands but Hawthorne shoved him back with a foot sending him sprawling to the floor. 

Leaning over Kat Hawthorne holstered his gun. “Akande wants you dead or alive, Miss Welles. Preferable dead but I think you’d also work as extra insurance. Daddy does what he’s told and you can live. One happy jailbird family. You know, I actually like the work you did on Rockwell. Son of a bitch had it coming.”

“Don’t listen-” Kat coughed “Dad...don’t take his offer. He’s a liar.”

Hawthorne tilted up her chin and his gaze went to her lips briefly. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry as hell for what happened to you and your mama. Pity there’s no time for...us.” 

Kat headbutted him in the face. Stumbling backward Hawthorne went for his gun but Kat was on him, forcing his head to one side and sank her teeth into his throat with a squelching sound. Screaming, Hawthorne wrenched himself free only to be driven back and land on the floor. Sitting heavily on Hawthorne’s chest Kat spit his own blood back in his eyes. The captain flailed wildly, blinded and whimpering in terror. They struggled briefly then Hawthorne’s own officer’s spine hummed to life in her hand.

Phineas dragged himself to a seated position, transfixed. Pushing himself off the floor Phineas went to her “You’re hurt, little Kat. Let me look-”

Kat raised the sword high. By now Hawthorne was sobbing and pleading. She ignored him. Pressing a button on Hawthorne’s belt Phineas’ handcuffs slid off. “Go on, Dad. This is going to get messy.”

But Phineas didn’t budge. Shrugging, she drove the blade into flesh. Hawthorne screamed. Wrenching the blade loose there was a squelching noise and she drove it in again. And again. And again. 

Phineas felt oddly detached. Kat’s back was to him so he didn’t see all the carnage but he certainly heard it. Droplets of red flew up whenever she pulled the blade loose. He barely blinked until Hawthorne gurgled one last time then fell silent, his feet spasmed once then ceased. 


End file.
